V ° L I9^ n ] Wright, Early Records of the Wild Turkey. 359 



that cause of my alarm was their shooting turkeys, killed .... nine 

 turkeys." Later, at this latter place, he kills others, and, along 

 the Arkansaw, he says he " Saw great quantities of turkeys . . . . " 

 Five years later, 1811, on May 7, Brackenridge (1. c, p. 225) near 

 the mouth of the Platte River, notes " On my return to the boat, 

 killed some pigeons. . . .and saw a flock of turkeys." In 1819 or 

 1820, Long (1. c, Vol. I, p. 419) when near the sources of the Grand 

 River says "Nothing is more difficult than to estimate by the eye, 

 the distance of objects seen in these plains . . . . , we discovered as 

 we thought, several large animals feeding in the prairie, at the 

 distance of half a mile. These we believed could be no other than 

 bisons, and after a consultation respecting the best method of 

 surprising them, two of our party dismounted and creeping with 

 great care and caution, about one fourth of a mile through the high 

 grass, arrived near the spot, and discovered an old turkey, with her 

 brood of half grown young, the only animals now to be seen." 

 The year following, 1821, Jacob Fowler states that on October 8, 

 near Arkansas River x "Some of the Hands killed 10 turkeys." A 

 month later, November 3, 1821, at Hartland, Kearney Co., he 

 notes that "On this island the Hunters killed Some turkeys and 

 Seen Some more, the first We Have SEEn above the little arken- 

 saw.'. . ." Finally, on November 17, 1821, he remarks that at 

 La Junta, "no buffelow or turkeys." 



In 1833, Maximilian, Prince of Wied, gives us several notes for 

 this region. When near the mouth of the Kansas, he says 2 " He 

 (McKenzie) brought us several turkeys which had been lately shot." 

 At Cedar Island, 1075 miles from the mouth of the Missouri, he 

 holds that "This may be considered the limit to which the wild 

 turkey extends on the Missouri. It is true that this bird is now 

 and then, found higher up, even on the Yellow Stone River; but 

 these are exceptions, for beyond this place the woods are too open 

 and exposed. The Indians on the LTpper Missouri, readily barter 

 for the tails of these fine birds to use them as fans and ornaments, 



i The Journal of Jacob bowler, etc. 1821-22. Edited by Elliott Coues. N. Y., 

 1898, pp. 16, 33, 48. 



2 Early Western Travels, XXII, Part I, pp. 251 (Orig. p. 119) 296 (144) ; XXIII, 

 Part II, pp. 102 (249), 103, 261 (339); XXIV, Part III, pp. 74 (446), 109 (465), 

 226, 248, 275, 276, 285, 293, 295, 300. 



